27th NOVEMBER. FRIDAY OF WEEK 34

First Reading : Revelation 20:1-4; 21:1-2

Those who reject the beast will reign with Christ, 1000 Years.

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended. After that  he must be let out for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Gospel: Luke 21:29-33

Know that the reign of God is near. My word will not pass away.

Then he told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees; a soon as they sprout leaves you can see for your selves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

REFLECTIONS AND MEDITATIONS ON THE READINGS

The lesson of the fig Tree

Dear brother and sisters , we can notice three kinds of presence about the kingdom of God  we learn from this gospel parable of the fig tree.

First and foremost, the kingdom of God is already present among us. The Kingdom of God is not something far from us but  " is among us," ( Luke 17:21).    When we pray well, show charity, speak well of others, the kingdom is present among us. The Kingdom of is very much present  whenever the values  of the gospel are being live but it won't be fully realized until the very end  when all undertakes God's command to bear fruits so as to win His friendship. This is because God wishes us to improve, to work for Him, to seek to love Him in prayer. God also calls us to live life to its fullest and to undertake its battles without panic or lose hope or adopt a pessimistic attitude. It is because God is sure that we will face difficult times in living our Christian lives. In fact some of us already have experienced difficult times and challenges of life. The question for meditation is that  how to go through  difficult times and challenges of life? There is a famous bishop named ' Socrates Villegas, in his book, Love like Jesus, In this book he tells us about three recommendations God wants us to do during  the difficult moment of our lives. He said:

First, face it. Difficult moments and challenges will run ahead of us if we deny and run away from them. This in fact will not help us in solving problems at all.

Second, remember the victorious moments of the past

God gives us the gift to remember and so let us remember those little victories, successes, triumph in the past. This is  because those victories in the past will give us courage to go on a the present  moment.

Third, have trust in the Lord

Christ's presence and His word are the greatest security in life. Everything  we hold and cling to in this world will, one day all of them, vanish like; family, home, healthy freedom to move, reason and so on. Heaven and earth will pass away but his works and words will not pass away. These are the greatest  security in life. The disciples who live these values will never be left in distress.